Author's Note
It's another overly long foreword from Z. Ring all of the bells of joy.
The first thing I want to do was apologize for the atrocious rate at which this chapter came out. I was initially having planned it to be released about seven to eight after Chapter 3 was published, but as it turns out, two jobs, school, and the obligations of maintaining some semblance of a social life don't allow me much free time to bang my head against the keyboard. Go figure, eh?
Sometimes I wish my days were Persona days, where the most effort I'd have to spend on things like work and studying would be a few text windows. But that'd make life boring, I suppose. Oh well, I digress. Onward.
So, I had a few goals with this chapter. For one, I wanted to start to establish the two OCs, Makoto and Takigawa, as characters in their own right rather than just plot devices and foils for our main two protagonists. I feel like this chapter shed a bit of light on these two, and hopefully made them a bit easier for you, gentle readers, to digest and appreciate. I know that quite a few people who read fan fiction have a certain disdain for the presence of OCs regardless of their status, but bear with me, as I'm still trying to learn three genres of writing at once. At the same time, I also wanted to keep the focus on Souji and Naoto by having them develop some new relationships or otherwise illuminate pre-existing ones. It's also a bit of practice for me; I'm assuming everybody reading this is already familiar with the general natures of Souji and Naoto, so I wanted to know how I was doing impressing some new characters upon the gentle readers.
Another is that this is the real start of the mystery, and I've left a lot of hints within the text that I had fun crafting. It will be up to you, the gentle reader, to discern which thread of hints to follow that may lead you to the mystery's cause or culprit. I feel pretty confident that I did stuff right in this chapter, if this foreword is any evidence. Whereas previous forewords were filled with my endless whining about how I'm basically just a talentless hack swinging his keyboard against various blunt objects to craft this story, I'm relatively confident in this one.
However, if there is one thing I am concerned with, it's that I didn't really include as much inner thinking and description as I could have, and subsequently this is one of the weaker chapters of the story. Honestly, I did re-read this through several times over because it just felt bare on the description. I'd like to know if it affected the reading of the story too much for you. I was pretty heavy on the dialogue, so hopefully this chapter is bearable. This is an important chapter so you can expect edits and updates, even as I work on the next chapter.
I also feel as if this chapter was a tad rushed. Let me know how the pacing is so that I can adjust it appropriately.
Even though I'm pretty confident with this chapter, that doesn't mean you're allowed to read this without reviewing, however. As the liege lord of this narrative, I ask, nay, demand your thoughts to help me provide you with riveting entertainment. It really does help more than you think.
Speaking of characters, I've been asked if I'm ever going to introduce the other characters of Persona 4 in this particular fic, to which I have to respond with a sad "no". I'll very likely be writing other Persona 4 fics which will have the other characters, so stick around for that, but it'd be awkward and superfluous to just crowbar them into this story. Well, let's not mince words, they'd basically be about as welcome as a sponge at a moisture convention and would shift the tone too radically.
Besides, having less characters means that I can focus more on the two protagonists, Souji and Naoto, and I don't have to thinly spread out all of the characterization jam over the narrative bread, so to speak. Four characters was ideal for me to have that characterization jam over four equal parts of the narrative bread, and I'm wringing this metaphor out for all of its worth, so I'll stop now.
So here it is, Chapter 4 of Fortuna Redux.
Monday, January 20th, 2014
8:49 A.M.
Rokujin Country Estate
Closing the door to the base behind her, Naoto was greeted with the low hum of the electronics and the clacking of a keyboard. "Oh, good morning, Makoto." Given the young woman's dedicated nature, it wasn't especially surprising to the detective that she had risen early to refine the incomplete floor plan. Makoto smiled, pausing in her rapid tapping of the keyboard, the light of the monitor somewhat shining on her face as the dusky morning peered through the windows, the wind and snow occasionally beating against the windows.
"Good morning, Shirogane-san," she responded. "Did you sleep well?"
Naoto's face flushed with heat at the innocuous question. "I—y-yes, thank you," she stuttered slightly. At least it was the truth; she had slept more soundly than she had since Souji left Inaba. Makoto kindly waved her hand.
"I'm glad to hear that. I actually wanted to ask you something this floor plan."
"Oh?" Naoto's mind sharpened on the case and she strode over to examine the glowing computer screen. Seeing the entire layout of the house and its floors was almost more unnerving than exploring the actual hallways; the only thing normal about the house was its external shape. Inside the house the corridors twisted in various geometric designs. One section of the house on the first floor was arranged like a hexagon, some of the hallways in the rooms would loop back to one of the main hallways, and some stairways from the first floor completely skipped the second floor and delved straight into the third. Probably the most suspicious thing about it though was...
"There are too many hollow spaces," Naoto said, frowning at the screen. Makoto seemed startled by the comment.
"Oh, you must have reached the same conclusion. I shouldn't be surprised. You are the Detective Prince, after all," the young woman said, impressed. "Yes, that was something that had bothered me since I first started looking at the plans we had drawn up. The space between some of these rooms just didn't seem right. And these measurements don't match up either. Sometimes the room is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, sometimes it's the opposite."
Judging from all of the blank spaces on the floor plan, the possibility of hidden rooms built over was almost certain. There was also the matter of the trap door the she and Souji had stumbled upon the day before, and whether or not there were more passages like it.
"The problem," Makoto sighed, "is that I talked to Arakida-san yesterday while Kaito-kun and I were mapping the first floor and asked him about the renovations. It seems only the northern portion of the manor was actually renovated all those years ago. The rest of the manor hasn't been touched since then." She crossed her legs and rested her chin on her hand as she stared at the floor plan, idly waving a hand at one section of the floor plan. "So then, why are there so many hollow spaces in the southern wing if the workers didn't build over any of those rooms?
Add another question to ask Arakida. Why indeed, Naoto thought. Provided the sleuth actually managed to secure an interview with the secretary, she could only bank on luck that Arakida was familiar with the construction history of the manor.
"Considering what we know of the manor so far, it'd be reasonable to be expecting everything," the detective said. "I had planned on asking permission from Arakida-san to investigate some of the hidden rooms that may have been built over during renovations, although my instincts tell me it's doubtful he would acquiesce to such a request."
Makoto sighed again. "That's likely, but-"
The door to the base squeaked open behind them, and Takigawa strolled in wearing his winter coat, which was frosted with snow. Around one shoulder was a large length of rope, and he held in his hand the handle to a metal case. The storm that had arrived yesterday had weakened over the night but seemed to pick up again as the wind rattled against the windows every now and then.
"Oh, Prince-kun's finally awake. You sleep well in the arms of our faithful leader? Or maybe you didn't sleep at all, hah." The auburn-haired youth chaffed, his smirk reaching his ears. Naoto gave him a smoldering glare even as her face bloomed with heat at his innuendo. Although the delinquent had Souji's sympathy and would be working with the detective, Naoto was determined to give him nothing more than cold courtesy.
"Kaito-kun!" Makoto threw one of the clipboards at him, which he only narrowly managed to deflect with his free arm before it impacted with his face.
"Gah, hey, there's no need to get violent! Sheesh, nobody can take a joke these days."
"You are exactly the kind of man all women need to stay away from, Kaito-kun," Makoto berated. "It's men like you who get power trips over being in a relationship, and then one day you'll just snap and go crazy and leave behind an innocent girl's broken body and broken heart!"
"W-what the hell's that supposed to mean? You know what, never mind. It's just going to get me lectured again so you can just assume I'm not interested." Takigawa set the rope and the metal case aside before glancing around the room in irritation. "Where's Seta anyway?"
"He rose early and said he was going to speak to some of the other investigators before coming here," Naoto said. "He didn't mention why. I'm assuming he wanted to try to convince them to assist us." Takigawa groaned.
"That idiot. No point in trying to talk to those foreigners. It's not like they'll try to help us out anyway. They've got their eyes on the money, and that's it." Takigawa's anti-foreigner rhetoric was rather strange to Naoto, as it sounded akin to the griping of a sixty year old man, not someone in his early twenties.
At that point the door opened and in went Souji with a bright smile, very clearly in much higher spirits than he had been in the days before. He greeted Naoto with a brief yet impulsive hug even though they had awoken besides each other, causing her face to flush with warmth as she quickly returned the gesture, all too aware of Makoto's small smile and Takigawa rolling his eyes.
"Good morning, everyone. Arakida-san sent me to inform everyone that breakfast would be served soon. It's a shame he still won't let me into the kitchen; I still want to make something for everyone." Souji chuckled. "Anyway, food aside we should probably get started as soon as we can. Takigawa?"
"Rope and flashlights, like you asked. The storm outside wasn't too bad so I could run to the van and nick the stuff before freezing. So, were we going to finish exploring?" He said, patting the metal case he had brought in. Souji folded his arms.
"That's definitely the plan. We should try to finish the entire thing by the end of today so we can start the search tomorrow. Our chances of finding Kaede dwindle by the minute, and perhaps fully exploring the manor will illuminate some important issues with it."
"Actually, Senpai," Naoto said, causing a curious look from Souji to be directed her way. "I was intending to have an interview with Arakida-san today. We are missing several important pieces of information that I believe he is in an able position to provide." Souji nodded his head.
"Alright then, that sounds good. I also wanted to interview Arakida but that would have come later, and it saves me the trouble of having to ask Takigawa to do it in my stead." The auburn-haired youth snorted. Souji turned to the young woman seated at the computer. "Makoto, did you bring your laptop?"
"Don't I always?" Makoto flashed a confident grin.
"Why don't you accompany Naoto and record the interview? It'll help us later."
"While I appreciate the thought, that won't be necessary. I will of course be taking my own notes-" the detective began. It was more reflex than anything else; she was very accustomed to working alone, and when partnered with police departments they usually offered similar help in an attempt to baby her or make some superfluous grab for credit. Naoto knew full well that that wasn't Souji's intent, but regardless it didn't stop her from instinctively protesting.
"Not an option, Shirogane," Souji grinned at her. "It's not that I don't trust you, but having the entire conversation on print would be helpful to us non-genius detectives." Naoto smiled and shrugged without giving further protest. Certainly he had a point; having the entire interview to draw on would definitely be a good resource, although that made the assumption that Arakida would agree to have the interview recorded.
"Alright, so Naoto and Makoto will go talk to Arakida. Takigawa and I'll start working on that floor plan. We should get started after breakfast." Souji gathered his materials and began to walk towards the door.
Souji swung the door open and was surprised to find a tall, blonde-haired European man in a black dress shirt and gray vest, poised to knock on the door.
"Oh, I was not interrupting, was I?" The European asked politely. Souji smiled and shook his head. Behind him, Naoto was puzzled at his presence. As she recalled, that was Arman's brother, although he seemed to be much more comfortable and outgoing than his rather stiff sibling. What does he want here?
"Not at all, Gerald-san. What can I do for you?" Souji asked, taking the tall man's rather sudden appearance in stride.
"Your name is...Sagara, yes? You spoke with my brother yesterday? He mentioned you."
Souji nodded. "I did, in the evening. Shirogane and I were devising a floor plan for the manor. Arman-san seemed to be exploring as well, although I don't wish to presume." The silver-haired youth tilted his head to the side. "Is something the matter?"
Gerald looked very uncomfortable and cleared his throat before speaking. "Well, Arman seems to be...I don't want to create an issue or accuse you of anything, but I haven't seen my brother yet this morning."
Alarms went off in Naoto's head, but quickly the detective forced her internal bells to calm themselves. There was nothing irrational about it. Gerald must have simply lost track of his sibling, or Arman rose early. Her recollections of their chance meeting yesterday did raise some questions, however; Arman didn't have any sort of tools or writing material with him when they encountered each other during their exploration. Was he simply wandering, or trying to get accustomed to the strange format of the manor? It was possible that he was simply lost at the time, but surely as a detective with apparently enough merit to land this case he would have prepared for that.
No, his abilities as a detective are not relevant, the sleuth thought. With some measure of embarrassment she recalled that she herself had also gotten lost quite quickly through the hallways, and that was only when she had left her room. The disorienting nature of the manor's layout seemed to affect all but Arakida and his staff. Arman was certainly not exclusive when it came to getting lost in the manor. In any case, it was relatively apparent from Gerald's word choice that Arman managed to make his way back to his room.
Souji raised an eyebrow. "He's gone missing?" He asked, his tone clearly concerned.
Gerald rubbed his forehead. "I'm not accusing you," he repeated, seeming frustrated and...anxious. Naoto noted that the blonde-haired German's actions had a nervous edge to them. "We share a room, however, and we retired at the same time. This morning his bed was made and he was nowhere to be seen. I've been looking for him for an hour and a half so far... I'm asking you if you might know anything, because by all accounts you were the last person besides myself to talk to him."
Souji pursed his lips in thought. "We only spoke very briefly. I had asked him if either he or you had any way to assist us in the floor plan, and I'd offered the completed product, but all he did was ask for the names of myself and Shirogane-san before leaving. It seemed like he may have been lost, or perhaps he was devising his own floor plan."
Gerald sighed, leaning against the side of the doorway. "Arman did mention that he wanted to scope out the estate grounds. Our initial plan was to ask the secretary questions, and go from there. I spent most of the day speaking to Arakida alone, and then exploring the third floor with Mr. Hollander. I didn't see my brother for most of the day until he returned to our room."
"What do you suspect?" Souji inquired.
"I...don't know. I had hoped maybe you knew something..." Gerald shook his head. "Never mind, I'll ask the secretary and his staff later. I'm sorry for bothering you." He gave a polite bow and wandered down the hallway. Souji closed the door and turned, looking thoroughly more concerned, a sharp contrast from the beam that was on his face just a few minutes ago.
"He's gone missing?" Souji repeated, deep in thought.
"Maybe he got cold feet and ran off," Takigawa suggested.
"Didn't he arrive he and Gerald-san arrive here in that Nissan sports car? Is it still in the lot?" Makoto asked.
Souji walked over to the window and slapped the drapes open. The base had an ample, if angled view of the courtyard. Residing there was the black van, the silver car Naoto had arrived in, and the Nissan in question.
"So he didn't take the car. He just...up and left? The storm was still going on this morning, wasn't it? And the nearest civilization is several kilometers away. Arman-san looked a perfectly reasonable person. I doubt he just decided to walk back to the station." Souji sighed.
"Naoto, your thoughts?" He asked, pinching his chin with his hand.
The sleuth gathered her thoughts. It was unnerving, this sudden disappearance. It was only a day after they had arrived, and seemed to follow the apparent pattern of the other string of disappearances that Arakida had begun to delve into at the briefing. "We can't assume anything yet," Naoto asserted. "There are several perfectly reasonable explanations for as to why Gerald-san hasn't seen his brother. While this is troubling, we should focus on our current task. Hopefully in the process we will obtain some illuminating details about this manor, and perhaps we may find Arman-san in the process."
Souji sighed, leaning against the door. "I was afraid you were going to say that, but you're right. There's really nothing we can do." He stared at the ceiling, contemplating this newest circumstance before Takigawa strode up to him and lightly pushed him off the door.
"Sorry to derail your train of thought, but I'm starving. Breakfast sounds like a great idea to me," the auburn-haired youth grumbled. "Besides, the sooner we start the sooner we can be done."
Monday, January 20th, 2014
9:53 A.M.
Rokujin Country Estate
Naoto pursed her lips at her note pad, which held in small handwriting all of the questions she intended to ask Arakida. The detective was seated on one end of a rectangular table, with Makoto at her laptop sitting on the side, poised to begin recording it. The secretary hadn't arrived yet, and the butler had begged for their patience in the mean time.
The door to the room they were using for the interview squeaked open. Arakida, his face as blank as it had been yesterday, bowed politely before taking a seat, gesturing for the sleuth to begin.
"Thank you for taking the time to assist us in this, Arakida-san," Naoto said, seeing no harm in being polite. The secretary evidently wasn't in the mood for such formalities, however, as his expression simply darkened and he gave another annoyed wave, clearly wanting the interview to be over and done with.
"To start, when did the disappearances on the estate grounds begin, and do you have any information on how many people disappeared since the first?" Takigawa had interrupted the secretary at the briefing when Arakida was going over all of the disappearances, so it didn't hurt to have this as a point of reference.
"The first disappearance reported to the authorities of the area was in 1999, during renovations to the north wing of the manor," he responded. "Several construction workers were missing and were not seen by their crews or their families. Since then, the disappearances associated with this manor have been numbered to thirty-seven incidents, with the number of people missing numbering to fifty-five. I have a copy of the full list of disappearances with me." Arakida withdrew a sheaf of paper from his vest and slid it across to the detective. Naoto inspected the information briefly before passing it to Makoto.
Fifty-five people over the course of fifteen years, spread out over thirty seven incidents in which they visited—or were taken—to this estate. There was still no real information to the case at hand, but it gave Naoto an idea of what they were dealing with.
"Do you know the purpose of the renovations of the north wing?" The sleuth inquired.
Arakida shook his head. "The president did not own this property at the time. I don't know." the secretary said rather frankly. On her notepad, Naoto circled the question as something to investigate later.
"Are you aware of any rooms that may have been built over in any other part of the house?" Makoto's observation about the hollow spaces in the southern wing had scratched the suspicious itch in Naoto that the secretary may not be entirely truthful with them.
The secretary frowned. "I believe that there may have been some additions made to that part of the house in the past, but beyond that, I don't know much about this estate's construction."
Nothing more than tangential details. Not only was the nature of these additions not certain, but there was no apparent purpose in it.
"What can you tell me about the President's history with this estate, and of his ownership of it?" The detective's own research on the manor didn't prove very fruitful besides the basic construction history. Nothing was mentioned about the previous owners, and while apparently almost sixty people had vanished within the premises of the manor, those disappearances were never reported or were at least regarded as separate incidents, with the estate never being brought up as a connection between them.
Arakida grimaced. "If you are suggesting that the President or any of his staff are responsible for Kaede Rokujin's disappearance-"
"I am not suggesting anything of the sort," Naoto interjected. "However, any and all details must be accounted for if this case is to be solved. I apologize if my line of questioning is out of turn, but I ask you for your understanding, Arakida-san; the circumstances of Kaede's disappearance are nothing short of abnormal and we do not have very many leads to work with. Any information you can provide will help us locate her."
The secretary seemed to stiffen, scrutinizing the dark-haired detective with no small measure of intensity before his expression returned to its regularly placid appearance. "The President purchased this estate for use as a vacation home four years ago. However, he does not reside here often; his work limits him to staying here with his family perhaps once or twice a year. The details of the previous owners of the estate are hazy at best; the only thing we know of the previous owner was his name, Hideyuki Kasuka, and that he was a former businessman."
Naoto scribbled down the name. It didn't seem familiar in the slightest; the detective ran the name through her internal file folder of any important corporate figures who might own property in this area. Whoever he was, he must have been quite wealthy in order to secure such a large estate. "You said the President doesn't reside here often. Wouldn't it have been unusual, then, for Kaede to come this far out into the country with her friends?"
Arakida shook his head again, a gesture the sleuth was quickly becoming accustomed with. "Kaede-san attends a boarding school in the area and had been assigned a chauffeur by the President. She is popular at school and had expressed a desire to maintain her social status. It is not implausible for her to visit here on a whim to brandish the manor to her peers."
"Would it be possible to question the chauffeur assigned to her, or perhaps the friends who with with her at the time-"
"Absolutely not," the secretary said flatly. Naoto raised an eyebrow at his quick reaction, but when Arakida said no more she assumed that that was his final answer. No contact to or from anyone while in the manor made this investigation much more complicated. She gave an internal sigh. While it was understandable that the secretary must be under a lot of pressure to keep this quiet and to prevent it from going out of control, these restrictions were proving themselves to be quite the barriers.
"Very well," the detective continued, flipping a page in her notebook. "Is this house staffed at all times?"
Arakida seemed startled by the odd question but regained his composure at a remarkable rate. "In general, yes. There are not more than five to ten staff here at any given time."
"Have they been employed at this manor since it had been acquired?"
"I believe so, or at least very close to that amount of time." It was almost invisible, but Naoto noticed a slight twitch in Arakida's face, as if he wanted to ask why she was asking these questions.
"Would you say this manor is usually protected by basic security? Are the doors and windows locked, for example?" Makoto's fingers never ceased rapidly dancing on the keyboard, but she shot the detective a confused look every now and then. This line of questioning seemed to be getting them nowhere.
Arakida actually paused before giving an answer; every answer he had given before seemed to be from memory, as if he had practiced for this interview. This was the first time there was an actual break in the conversation. "Yes, or at least I would certainly hope the staff lock the doors and windows. There is nothing of particular value here that I know of, but it would reflect terribly on the President if his country estate was broken in to."
"Are you aware of the fact that one of the investigators, Arman Kurz, has gone missing?" Naoto's expression grew more somber.
Arakida nodded. "Gerald-san notified me. I had asked the staff, but none of them had seen him. They will be on the lookout as they attend to their duties, however."
So there was nothing on Arman-san. At least, nothing that the secretary deigned to tell her. In Naoto's mind there was a growing corner of suspicion and doubt, but there was nothing substantial to back up anything as of yet.
The secretary glanced at the clock. "Pardon me, but are we almost done? There are certain duties that I must attend to."
"Almost, Arakida-san. I have two more questions for you. I'll make them brief. What was the purpose of sending the requests in puzzles?"
The secretary actually looked confused. "I'm sorry?" While that reaction threw Naoto off, she pressed on.
"The request for the investigation came to each of the detectives here in a metal case affixed with a different puzzle. May I ask what the intent was?"
Arakida slowly shook his head. "I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage. I do not know what you are referring to. The requests were sent in ordinary packages, or by phone call via a secure line."
Naoto was very careful to hide her apprehensive frown. The packages she and Souji had received were anything but normal. They had both received metal cases with some form of puzzle on the front; Takigawa had claimed that the locking mechanism was extremely complicated. If Arman and Hollander were to be believed, they had also received their requests in the metal cases. The secretary asserted that he hadn't sent it, and even claimed that he had made phone calls, and yet the four investigation groups that were here were expected after receiving such a strange package and apparently no phone calls.
"I...see," Naoto said. "Last question, then. Have you hired any other investigators besides us before this point?"
Arakida paused again before shaking his head. It was impossible to determine if it was simply because he was recalling...or if he was searching for the correct answer. "No. The four agencies present are the first time we have called for an investigation in this matter." The secretary stood up and curtly gave a bow. "I apologize for cutting this short, but as I mentioned there are many important matters I must attend to. Excuse me." He bowed curtly before turning to leave the room.
"Of course, thank you for your time, Arakida-san." When the secretary left the room, Naoto seemed to slump in her chair, the myriad questions flocking around her mind like startled bats.
Makoto finished the typing and stretched her hands when she noticed the sleuth. "Is something wrong, Shirogane-san? That didn't really go as planned, did it." It was more of an observation than a question.
Naoto shook her head before looking at her notebook. "Not necessarily. I'm afraid the amount of information we obtained was far from ideal." Glancing at her notebook, it seemed the information they managed to garner from Arakida was close to nil. He didn't seem to know anything about the history of the house or its previous owners besides a name, meaning that he couldn't offer an explanation for the odd format of the house and therefore how it could have possibly played into Kaede's disappearance. There was no information about the renovations or the hidden spaces in the south wing, and the secretary was determined to limit outside contact, meaning that those who were present at the time of Kaede's disappearance couldn't be questioned.
Certainly the case in Inaba had been a bewildering one before she encountered Souji, but at least there was a pattern, there were leads to follow and an MO that the killer operated under. The only patterns that seemed to be present here was the frustrating lack of information, the unnatural format of the house, and the fact that no one seemed to be knowledgeable on either the house or the disappearances.
"Perhaps we can discuss it with Seta-san and Kaito-kun when they finish the floor plan," Makoto suggested. That seemed reasonable; Souji had mentioned before that he wanted to explore the trap door that he and Naoto had found. It was possible that the two of them may discover something that could add to the case. It seemed that any information they may garner would only come from exploring the manor in its entirety.
The detective's train of thought was interrupted when the young woman beside her spoke up. "Um, Shirogane-san? Can I ask you something?" Makoto seemed hesitant. Naoto was somewhat puzzled but nodded her head.
"This is going to seem out of the blue, but, well...is it true that you were pretending to be a boy while you were in Inaba?"
Naoto gave the young woman a startled glance. Makoto waved her hands apologetically. "I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry. It's just...Seta-san mentioned it during dinner, and I was just curious...you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"I—no, it's alright. It was merely unexpected." The detective tugged on the brim of her cap, gathering her thoughts before speaking. Before she would have simply denied the claim and let the matter rest, but as of late discussing such matters had become far easier. Perhaps being able to talk about it was just a sign that she was growing more comfortable with herself; it wasn't something she considered embarrassing any more. "It's true that I did take certain measures in order to be perceived as male, and I never objected when my peers referred to me as such. It wasn't just in Inaba, however; everywhere I went, the people with whom I worked with seemed to look for a reason to look down on me, whether it be because I was female or because I was only an adolescent." Naoto sighed, unwelcome memories bubbling to the surface of her mind. "I did everything in my power to change that so that I would be accepted, but it hadn't worked as well as I'd hoped."
"I see," Makoto said softly. "It must have been difficult, having always been surrounded by adults who treated you like a child. Did you have any friends?"
The sleuth shook her head. "At the time? No. Because of the nature of my work, I was always trying to grow so that I wouldn't be dismissed by those I worked with, and so I never developed an idea of how other people my age interacted with one another. I never had much fun, either; most of my enjoyment was derived from working on the case, not from the company of others or engaging in other activities that normal teenagers did." Naoto leaned back in the chair and glanced at the ceiling in thought. "Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect is that I could have likely developed friendships while in school, had I harbored such intentions, but I was held back by my own principles. If it weren't for Senpai and his friends, it's likely that I would have remained isolated for far longer, perhaps until it was too late to enjoy my adolescent years."
Makoto crossed her arms on the desk and rested her chin on them. "Seta-san's...important to you, isn't he?"
Naoto felt the heat rise to her face. She glanced down, fixated on her lap. She gave a slow nod. "Yes...he is." It seemed too simple of a statement for the matter, but it was the simple truth.
Makoto nodded. "You're a very interesting person, Shirogane-san." she said earnestly. "I have to say, though, I'm surprised you revealed all of that to someone you just met yesterday. Aren't you afraid I'll do something dastardly with all of your secrets?" she giggled conspiratorially. Naoto offered a small grin.
"I believe you to be of a trustworthy sort, Makoto. Senpai trusts you, after all. It would be belittling to him if I did not offer you the same."
"He also trusts Kaito-kun, you know, but that hasn't stopped you from giving him the cold shoulder," Makoto said, grinning. Naoto snorted.
"Had that man learned to carry himself with a bit more dignity and a little less vulgarity, we may have been more compatible," the detective said disdainfully.
"Still, you think I'm trustworthy? You never know. In actuality, I'm responsible for all of these disappearances!" Makoto put on a fake evil grimace and gave a high-pitched cackle, Naoto chuckled at the odd face.
"I wouldn't jest about that, if I were you," the sleuth admonished lightly. "You never know who will take you seriously when you spout such wild confessions." It was a reminder of the Cassandra truth from three years ago, when Rise had drunkenly let loose that the group's antics involved fighting Shadows with Personae and saving the kidnap victims from the world within the television, and Naoto had rather flatly asked if they were mocking her. At the time she had no idea just how true it was.
"But you won't rat me out, right? You'll be moving to Tokyo and working with us fairly soon, anyway." Makoto offered a sincere smile. "I know I'm a little older, but always being surrounded by old men isn't a healthy social life. I'm glad that you trusted me enough to talk to me about these things. I hope you can consider me your friend." The young woman's smile seemed to be seeking the detective's approval.
Naoto felt warm; she had very few real friends outside of those in Inaba and even now it was difficult for her to earn the respect of her peers while working; Dojima was just about the only one in the prefecture who seemed to consider her opinions, yet there was something about the young woman's welcoming and sincere demeanor that seemed to strike a chord with Naoto and made Makoto practically impossible to deny.
"Y-yes, I suppose so," the detective said quietly, a small smile gracing her lips. While they had only just recently been acquainted, it was a pleasant feeling, one that Naoto wasn't overly familiar with, but it was one she was willing to be accustomed to.
"Would you mind if I asked a question in turn, Makoto?" The young woman shook her head nonchalantly.
"Of course not. Ask away. I've asked my questions, so it's only fair for you to ask yours."
"Why is it you are able to call Takigawa-san by his first name? He seems very determined to be only addressed by his surname, so it is surprising to me that you are able to can address him in such a way without protest. Have you known him from before the two of you joined Senpai?"
"Oh, you noticed," Makoto laughed. "When I confronted him about that myself a few weeks after he joined, he flew into a rage and wouldn't talk to me for a week, you know."
"I-is that so?" Naoto said. Takigawa was certainly abrasive and hostile, but he hadn't struck the sleuth as that volatile. Makoto nodded, smiling all the way.
"Oh yes. Eventually Seta-san and I kept at it and he finally caved. He didn't tell me anything; he only really talks to Seta-san about these things." That wasn't surprising. Souji was very easy to talk to, usually because he knew when not to respond. A smile made of a mix of amusement and sympathy crossed Makoto's lips. "According to Seta-san I look like his older sister."
"An older sister?"
"Yes, and they were apparently quite close." Makoto nodded. Certainly one of the many things Takigawa was lacking as evidenced by his behavior was female influence, especially one that was ostensibly quite affecting. Then again, Naoto didn't know anything about this older sister so it wasn't exactly fair to judge.
"Did he mention where she is now?"
"Seta-san said that Kaito-kun looked rather crestfallen when he mentioned it. I think it's a source of pain for him." Makoto looked sympathetic. "I suppose that's partly why he is the way he is. I was an only child, but it must have been hard losing a sibling." It seemed there was more to Takigawa than met the eye.
The time passed for a short while as Naoto flipped through the notes in her notebook and examined the list of missing people Arakida had given them. Makoto was reviewing the interview but fidgeted somewhat before speaking up again. "To tell the truth, Shirogane-san, the reason I asked those questions about you was because I wanted to ask you a favor." Naoto glanced at the young woman, curious as to what the request could be. Makoto seemed to hesitate again. "You'll look after Seta-san, right?"
Makoto's line of questioning was odd; she seemed concerned, yet the reasons for which the sleuth couldn't decipher. "I—yes, of course," Naoto asserted quietly, thrown off by the request. That went without saying, but the fact that Makoto had expressed it as a favor generated anxiety in the detective. Was there something going on that Souji wouldn't tell her?
"He'd undoubtedly be annoyed with me if he knew I told you but," Makoto's expression was worried. "He was running himself into the ground before this, you know."
"Was he?" Naoto asked softly, her voice filling with concern.
Makoto nodded. "With university, his job, and this new detective agency, he was always doing something and never made any time for himself. It got to the point where Seta-san was barely sleeping every night, and Kaito-kun practically had to tie him down in order to get him to rest. He even collapsed once in the middle of classes and had to spend a day resting at the hospital due to exhaustion."
"What...!" The detective almost stood up as a myriad of emotions crossed Naoto's face, starting with shock and ranging into disbelief and then anger. Souji had always been a selfless person, and it was true that he had many things to deal with, but putting his own health at risk in the process was reckless and foolish. Surely there was a better way to balance all of that without endangering his well being. Perhaps even more concerning was that he or no one else had deigned to inform her. What else could he have been keeping from her? "He collapsed?"
Makoto, flustered by the sleuth's sudden reaction, waved her arms. "I-it wasn't anything serious, he just needed to let himself relax for a day or so, and this was a long time ago, so you don't need to worry. He's still perfectly healthy, as I'm sure you could...erm...a-anyway." Makoto coughed before continuing, wanting to avoid any particularly awkward subjects.
"It's...well, he is a kind and sincere man, and it was difficult to see him run himself ragged like that." Makoto clearly wasn't accustomed to articulating such concerns, judging by the way she paused and chafed. "O-oh, but I don't have any feelings for him. We're just friends, and he did mention that he had someone important to him—well, you. So, um, don't worry about that." She paused, a bit perturbed before she sighed and glanced at Naoto accusingly. "...you really made a mess of him, you know that, Shirogane-san?"
"Wh—I did?" Naoto said, startled by the accusation and anxious about the implications. What exactly did she mean? They hadn't even been together all that often since Souji departed Inaba; the last time they had seen each other was last year...
"Yes, you." Makoto seemed exasperated all of a sudden. "That watch Seta-san wears all of the time, you made that, right? He said that someone very important to him gave it to him as a gift." The detective nodded, blushing as she cast her eyes downward. "There was one time he asked me to repair it for him, and you wouldn't believe how distraught he was when he had thought it was broken. It was as if his house had been burned down, or he'd lost a close friend."
"T-that...but why? I had designed it to be quite durable, and even if it had been broken beyond repair, I could have simply made a new one for him. Its functionality is not especially unique. There was no reason for him to have been upset over it..." Naoto's own explanation didn't sound right to her own ears even as the words left her lips.
Makoto sighed, rubbing her forehead and giving the sleuth a helpless grin. "You may be the Detective Prince but you're quite clueless about love." The young woman's rather blunt reminder reddened the hue of Naoto's face. "It's not about the watch itself. He was upset because it was a gift from you. It was one you spent time and effort creating yourself exclusively for him, and the meaning was never lost on him. I noticed the locator function, you know. I imagine it's linked to something you wear. Perhaps your own watch?"
Naoto glanced down. The device in question blinked Out of Range; Souji was likely finishing mapping the southern wing by now. Souji...you're always like this. You care too much about everything but yourself.. He was always putting others before himself, and sometimes it frustrated the dark-haired teen to no end.
Makoto seemed to interpret the gesture as affirmation. She crossed her arms and a weary smile crossed her lips as she crossed her arms.
"You two...it's like watching a couple of kids." She released a small laugh. "You really mean everything to Seta-san, you know. Everything under and beyond the sun. I don't think you know how profoundly your absence affected him."
Naoto could feel herself turning scarlet, and she averted her eyes from Makoto. "He spent most of his waking hours trying to fill the hole in his days that were made by you not being there...that was why he was always working, whether it was his job, or a new case, or his classes. He still smiled and laughed and spent time with friends, but there was an edge to everything he did, like he just wanted time to accelerate." Yesterday Souji had noted that Naoto's own 'edge' had been tempered. It seems that in the mean time his own had sharpened.
"The point is, Naoto," the detective turned her head up. It was the first time Makoto had referred to her by her first name. "is that I'm asking you to take care of him. I mean, I know that I don't really have to ask, but there's only so much Kaito-kun and I can do when you're not around."
Naoto gave a slow nod, unable—or perhaps unwilling—to speak in the face of such a request. It was encouraging to see Souji had a reliable person such as Makoto to watch out for him, but the detective took the young woman's words to heart. She really didn't have an idea as to how their separation may have affected Souji; how could she? She'd never had such an intimate relationship with anyone before. It was only with Souji's guidance that she slowly deciphered how to act and how to understand her own feelings. Even now, some facets of love and intimacy were completely alien to her.
In any case, I will talk to him when all of this is over, Naoto resolved to herself. How dare he hide such things from me...Souji, putting yourself at risk like that. Honestly...what are you thinking?
Makoto laughed softly. "I feel like your big sister, lecturing you like this. I don't mean to act condescending or anything; I know you're more than perfectly capable of thinking for yourself. The advice is yours to keep or discard as you wish."
"I—no, thank you for telling me. If you hadn't it's probable that he would have simply hidden such things from me until I found out." Naoto gave a grateful look to the young woman. Big sister? It was a bit early in their relationship to be determining things like that.
Makoto gave Naoto a meaningful glance. "Will you be returning to Inaba after this case?"
"That's...quite likely. I still have classes to attend; I will have much work to catch up on," Naoto murmured, still mulling over everything she had been told.
Makoto clasped her hands together. "Perhaps it's not my place to say this but...maybe you shouldn't go straight back to Inaba after this case is over? Naoto's quizzical gaze switched from her lap to Makoto's sincere expression. "Come back with us to Tokyo, and spend a day with him, or longer." Makoto suggested. "I imagine it's easy for you to obtain leave from your school because of your detective work, right? I think you and him should take a day to unwind together. It'll help more than you think."
"That sounds like..a good idea," Naoto agreed quietly, the heat rising to her face. A day alone with Souji...the last time they had managed to enjoy such an occasion together seemed far away enough to reach the edge of the universe.
Makoto stretched in her chair, closing the laptop. "I think it's time we returned to the base. All of this was a lot to process."
Naoto nodded. She had wanted to review the interview with Arakida in-depth anyway. Several things the secretary had said seemed off to her, but it was impossible to make any judgments without evidence.
"Still," Makoto wondered as she stood up. "I wonder how those two are doing. Hopefully they've found something that'll shed some light on this case."
Monday, January 20th, 2014
10:49 A.M.
Rokujin County Estate
"You think about how Prince-kun and Makoto are? Maybe Arakida knows something we don't," Takigawa scratched his head as he looked at the the measurements. The measuring tape made a loud snap as it returned to its casing.
"Honestly, I'd be surprised if he didn't," Souji said, scribbling down some notes and the area of the room. The pair had a rather lucky streak; the first floor was finished relatively quickly, and the second floor was more than halfway done. If this kept up they'd have the entire floor plan finished before dinner. "What do you think, Hollander-san?"
The American glanced at the silver-haired youth, adjusting his glasses. "I don't trust that man," he said gruffly, his hawk-like features scrunching up in a grimace. "Something about him doesn't seem trustworthy."
Souji himself wasn't entirely sure how he did it, but he had somehow managed to convince Marcus to help them. It seemed that the American was at something of a loss, given the odd case and the format of the house, and it was certain that the tall man was too proud to ask for help, but when Souji had humbly requested his help earlier this morning, the American finally caved and agreed. It was due to his efforts that they had managed to finish as much as they did so quickly; Marcus had even been courteous enough to share his plans of the third floor that he had composed with Gerald, as he had roughly the same idea as they did.
Unfortunately, that didn't answer the question of Arman. Souji had heard nothing of the German's whereabouts, and while he did his best to keep himself focused on the task at hand, the corner of doubt in his mind grew with every passing hour, even as another part of his mind attempted to explain it away. Perhaps by now Arman's returned and there was nothing to worry about. He simply continued his exploring or wandered off and got lost, and he'd find his way back before the day's end.
Souji didn't really believe that part of his mind.
"I gotta say, I don't really trust him either. He seemed real shifty during the briefing yesterday," Takigawa concurred. "Just something about the way he never reacts...he's like a sheet of ice." A loud snap was heard. "Damn," the auburn-haired young man swore, as he flicked away the snapped graphite point of the pencil. "Hey, Se—Sagara, throw me a pencil."
"Sure, Seta-san," Souji said, smirking. You're not that great at writing, are you? Souji wanted to say, but it seemed his meaning was conveyed through his glance because Takigawa glared at him as he caught the pencil. It was odd hearing himself use his own surname in such a way, but the two of them had agreed that it would be prudent not to take chances around Marcus Hollander. The American was rather intimidating in appearance, and while Souji had asserted that they should at least try to trust him, Takigawa's apprehensiveness won him over in the end. There was nothing wrong with erring on the side of caution.
The three of them exited into the hallway after measuring the room, which had miraculously come out to be something resembling normal both inside and out. Takigawa glanced around, a look of unfamiliarity on his face as he glanced at his clipboard. The room they had just been in was adjacent to a four way intersection, and yet for a reason the auburn-haired young man couldn't fathom the floor plan on his clipboard indicated that it was only a three way intersection. It was as if a fourth hallway had appeared out of hammer space, occupying the spot where there had previously only been a blank wall.
Takigawa turned to face the pair behind him. "Uh, either of you remember where we came from?"
Souji frowned and glanced at his own clipboard. "I...have this area as a three way intersection."
Marcus grunted. "I as well."
It unnerved Souji. Where did that fourth hallway come from? Its existence completely destroyed their results of the past half hour. He glanced at the corners only to discover that the markings they had made—the same markers that enabled their navigation of the manor—seemed to have disappeared. At first he had merely thought he made a mistake, but all three of them had the same answer. Now it was more as if they were in a completely different manor altogether. "Um...I think it's that way," Souji said, pointing to the hallway from their left. "The hallway opposite goes to a dead end."
Marcus shook his head, pointing at the opposite hallway. "Sagara-san, that hallway only goes to the staircase on the third floor. I'm certain we came from this one."
"That...really doesn't help, you two," Takigawa said, exasperated. He rubbed his forehead. It was at times like this that he really did not enjoy having to pose as Souji's body double, as it usually meant he had to lead. And whenever people relied on Takigawa to lead, they usually got lost, people died, and all of a sudden he'd be in the middle of some backwards location without any pants.
He pointed at the new hallway that had appeared before them. "You know what they say. If forced to choose between two, pick the third." With no small measure of confidence he marched forward into the unknown, not even deigning to glance behind him to find out if they had bothered to follow. Never mind the fact that this hallway almost literally appeared out of nowhere, but they had no idea where it might lead and Takigawa didn't seem the slightest bit interested in hearing about how drastically it affected their floor plan.
Souji and Marcus exchanged a look, with one looking exasperated and the other looking apprehensive.
"He leads your agency?" Marcus inquired skeptically. Souji sighed.
"Yes, that's...our Seta-san," he said, smiling weakly at Takigawa's retreating back. All of a sudden it seemed as if the body double idea was only slightly worse than setting himself on fire.
"He does not seem very competent," The American rumbled. Souji twitched before giving up to follow the auburn-haired youth, letting out a deep exhale as he did. In Takigawa's defense, it was Souji's idea in the first place. Besides, this was part of their plan; if for whatever reason anyone felt that their investigation needed to be targeted, they would either focus on Takigawa or perhaps ignore him and subsequently "his" agency completely due to this supposed incompetence. Still, the auburn-haired youth didn't make it easy to watch.
Surprisingly enough, although the hallway seemed to stretch for an absurd length, it eventually brought the trio to an intersection where their signature marks were on the corners with the appropriate colors. Takigawa beamed a confident grin. "See, trust your noble leader to get you back to safety."
Souji glanced at his clipboard again. By all rights that mysterious hallway should have brought them to a dead end...no, that wasn't exactly right. It wasn't even supposed to exist. Fifteen minutes ago he was absolutely certain that the intersection went in three directions, not four. While the markings they made were familiar, the intersection itself wasn't. Ostensibly they could simply follow the markings, but was this intersection actually a part of their floor plan or was it of the same nature as the hallway? While their markings were there, it didn't change the fact that as far as actual location went, they were legitimately lost.
Marcus' expression was stiff but otherwise unchanged. "Black leads to the main hall, yes?" He intoned, pointing at the markings on the corners. The American's deep voice startled Souji, jolting him out of his contemplation.
Takigawa jerked his thumb to one hallway. "Yeah. You heading back?"
Marcus nodded. "Yes, there are some things I need to take care of."
"We'll share the full map with you once we finish it," Souji said. "Thanks so much for your help today, Hollander-san."
Marcus gave a brittle nod before leaving the hallway.
When he left, Takigawa let out a relieved exhale. "Gotta say, it was creepy having him follow us around." He rubbed the back of his neck. Souji waved his clipboard at the youth's face.
"Hey, he helped us out and gave us this map of the third floor he did, right? I don't see any reason why we shouldn't trust him." Takigawa snatched the clipboard out of Souji's hand and gave it a scrutinizing look.
"Are you sure we can trust his work? He did it with that German, Gerald, right?" Takigawa's eyes scanned through the clipboard and he flipped through several sheets of paper on it before frowning. "He didn't include any measurements on this. I'm not sure how reliable this is. Maybe we should take the time to look through the entire third floor when we have the time. Anyway, how are we going to adapt this with our stuff?"
Souji seized back the clipboard. "Makoto'll be able to sort this out. And what exactly is this grudge you hold against foreigners? It's not going to cause us a problem with Hollander-san or Gerald-san, is it?"
Takigawa let loose an exasperated sigh. "I've just had bad experiences with them, alright? Excuse me for being cautious."
"There's a difference between caution and paranoia that you seem to be failing to grasp," Souji reprimanded. "They haven't given us any reason to be the slightest suspicious about them. We're all looking for Kaede, right? What harm is there in at least working together?"
Takigawa grunted. "Hnh. It's always the least suspicious ones that you have to watch out for, you know. For all you know one of those guys could be the culprit."
Souji rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm absolutely certain they flew more than five thousand kilometers to Japan in order to hide a Japanese school girl in a shifty mansion owned by her own father."
Takigawa raised his hands to deflect the silver-haired male's sarcasm. "You're the detective here, I just do the heavy lifting. Even so, I'm just saying that we should be open minded. Case like this is bigger than anything we've ever got before. I told you before that we shouldn't have taken it." The pair began to follow the marks back to the base. "It didn't sit well with me then and it doesn't now. I still think we should jump ship while we can. There's nothing we can do here."
Souji sighed. "Enough. I know you're not comfortable being here, but I couldn't leave if there's a person missing still here. It'd weigh on my mind forever if I did. There's still hope that Kaede-san is alive and inside this manor, so the least we can do is make the effort to find her. Let's get the rope and flashlights and check out that trap door."
They certainly weren't going to be making anymore progress on the floor plan; it was more or less complete, but that hallway that appeared had almost certainly ruined that entire quadrant of the second floor. Souji wasn't entirely sure it was worth going back and redoing, however. Time was of the essence, and while they should investigate every detail or out-of-place, they simply didn't have any opportunity or lead to do so.
Souji knocked on the door to the base in case the girls were inside, but when he was greeted with silence he swung it open. "Looks like we beat them here. Maybe they're still talking to Arakida." Takigawa grabbed the length of rope and the metal case holding the flashlights.
"You remember where the room is, right? Cause hell if I do," the auburn-haired youth said. Souji nodded. "It was pretty close to the staircase to the third floor. The red markings should lead us there pretty soon."
The hallways remained their signature twisting, meandering self, but with the markings and having an idea of where they were with the floor plan made navigating the manor much easier. The two walked in silence for a time before Takigawa spoke up.
"So, you and Prince-kun, huh?"
"She has a name, Kaito," Souji said lightly, his casual use of the latter's first name causing him to scowl.
"We've been over this, Seta-san, and the next time you pull that shit you're going to get punched: it's just Takigawa. Anyway, whatever, you and Shirogane. What's up with that?"
"I don't see any problem with us, do you?" Souji said rather mildly. Takigawa scratched his head.
"Didn't think you were into the androgynous types, to be honest. You a fan of visual kei?"
"As a matter of fact I am fond of Acid Black Cherry, but Naoto hardly fits the type."
Takigawa gave an amused snort. "Got that right. That detective's quite the hard ass for being young and a girl." Souji hid his smile; Naoto would hardly consider her image to be that of a "hard ass" detective. It was even more humorous coming from the fact that the statement came from Takigawa, a street punk who had ostensibly had to deal with his share of police encounters.
"So, when did you find out she was a girl? Were you into her before you found out?" Takigawa asked curiously. Souji snorted derisively at the questions.
"You sound like you're in high school, Takigawa, trying to gather gossip like that. What, you going to use this to make sure I'm not crowned prom king this year?"
Takigawa laughed and shrugged. "Nah, I just want to know more about you. We don't really have the chance to talk like this too much and I don't know too much about you. I never knew you had a girlfriend, especially a weird one like that. Can't blame a guy for being curious, yeah?"
Souji grinned and returned the shrug with one of his own. "I suppose I can't. Well, when we met Naoto was assigned to Inaba to investigate the murders that were happening there."
Takigawa nodded. "I remember you mentioned that. Those creepy ones with the body hanging off the telephone poles and stuff, yeah?"
Souji nodded. "The local police, including my uncle, had run into a wall with it, so the prefecture hired her to sort it out. In the mean time she transferred to my high school to further her education. This was before I knew she was female. When we first met I wasn't even aware she was a detective; I just thought she was some strange kid who was asking around about the murders." He shook his head ruefully. How wrong I was. Had anyone gone back in time and told him that Naoto would be the one who would take his heart, he wouldn't have believed them in the slightest.
"And...so, what, she grab your interest?"
"Honestly?" Souji scratched the back of his head. "I'd have to say yes. There was something about her even before I knew that just seemed to...strike out at me. I wasn't romantically interested in her, not at the time, but, well...every now and then you meet someone who is just intriguing, you know? You don't know them, but you want to, in the back of your mind."
"Oh?" Takigawa said, leering at theSouji. "So would you have gone after her if you never knew she was female? It'd be pretty weird in a small country town to chase a guy like that. Think of what your uncle would say!"
Souji laughed again. "Dojima would probably just not say anything; he'd be too flustered to. As for your question, I can't answer that honestly," he conceded, chuckling. "Well, that's not entirely true. I'm not interested in men, at least not in a romantic sense. If she were a male I don't think I would have gotten to know her as well as I did; I'm not entirely sure she would even be the same person. So actually, the answer to that question is no." He glanced at the hand made watch on his left wrist. Even though it blinked Out of Range, he was confident that she was close by.
Souji smiled. "The thing is that, well, Naoto is Naoto. It doesn't really matter whether she's male or female. I mean, I'm glad she's a girl, not for the sake of her being a girl, but because it's part of who she is. She's kind, loyal, sophisticated, honest, intelligent, independent, thoughtful, and a tad insecure, but I'm not certain she would possess those same qualities were she male. But really, that doesn't matter. Hypothetical situations aside, it's the Naoto that's here who I value, who'll always be the most important part of my life."
Takigawa raised an eyebrow at the earnest with which Souji recited that. "You'd make one hell of a politician, spouting sappy stuff like that."
Souji grinned. "You think so? I just said what I thought, and keep in mind that you asked."
"But you didn't really answer my question, you know, Seta-san. I asked if you would have chased her if you never knew she was a girl. So how about it?"
Souji shrugged. "Probably not, although I would have found out sooner or later." Takigawa rewarded himself with a triumphant grin.
"Probably, huh?"
Souji shrugged again. "It's pointless speculating on the past, but anything could have happened."
The two proceeded down the hallway quietly for a while longer.
"So...Shirogane's really important to you, huh?" Takigawa asked. They came to the door of the room with the trap door and entered. It was the same as before; the couch that Souji and Naoto had shoved to a different wall was still there, the wallpaper was still of a fading maroon, and the trap door was still dusty with the metal ring. The room hadn't changed since the last time Souji had been here, and while he felt something of a chill, he brushed it off as his imagination. It was the middle of winter, after all.
Souji nodded. "She's everything to me," he said without hesitation or doubt in his voice.
"Yeah, I know that. Makoto does too," Takigawa said softly. He set down the rope and flashlights and turned to face the Souji, a serious look on his face. It was odd to Souji to see the typically irreverent Takigawa have so severe of a look on his face, and even worried him somewhat. I don't think I've ever seen him this austere before.
"Let me ask you something, then, Souji. Is it really a good idea for her to be here?" The auburn-haired youth said. For once his tone was somber and reflected some measure of concern, something wildly out of character for the usually abrasive and selfish Takigawa, and that caught Souji's attention.
"What exactly are you saying?" Souji asked, looking askance at the young man next to him.
Takigawa looked straight at Souji's eyes. It was almost unnerving, seeing the auburn-haired young man so grim. "I know you're tired of hearing it but let me just say it again: I don't like this case. The way it came to us, the disappearances, this house, that damned secretary. It all just feels wrong."
"I've heard all of this before; what does it have to do with Naoto?" Souji felt his own anxiety begin to grow, but he kept it carefully hidden.
"I...well, look, you care about her, right? I mean, Makoto practically walked in on you two. I'm just saying that...this case might be dangerous. Her being here, I think it's a risk."
"Naoto is not a risk," Souji said flatly. He started to turn around to get the flashlights out, considering the discussion over.
"That's not what I meant. Dammit, let me finish," Takigawa said, exasperated, grabbing him by the shoulder so that Souji would face him again. "I mean, people have disappeared in this house, right? A lot of people according to Arakida. Those business execs, a group of freaking primary schoolers, construction workers, and now a teenage girl. They were in this house and just up and vanished, and never heard from again. It sounds like some crappy ghost story, but those people are missing, and now Kaede is too. It hasn't stopped. Just because we're here now doesn't mean that this house is completely safe to be in. Arman-san's already gone missing. Don't you remember that? It was just a few hours ago when his brother came to us. They went to bed at the same time and when Gerald woke up, whoosh, gone, Arman's vanished. He just got here, Seta, not twenty hours ago, and he's missing. What if it's one of us next? What if it's Shirogane who vanishes? What will you do then?"
Souji wasn't entirely sure; he cast his eyes downward, unable to answer that question. It hadn't dawned on him that this house might actually be a danger zone. Certainly other people had vanished here, but lingering in his subconscious was the idle thought of "it won't happen to us". The way Takigawa put it, however, he realized that they knew so very little about the manor that such lack of knowledge could prove quite perilous. If anything might happen to Naoto, Souji wasn't entirely confident in himself that he'd know exactly what to do. Kaede was missing and no one had been able to find her, and now Arman had vanished without any clues as well.
Takigawa looked the the silver-haired young man straight in the eye. Whatever joking or irreverence he held, it wasn't there anymore. "Souji, we shouldn't be here. I'm telling you, this gut feeling's not gonna go away with some buttered toast served by a butler and a good night's sleep. Everyone here is at risk, including your precious detective. We need to leave as soon as we can."
Souji stared straight at him. "You're usually more gung-ho about being on a case, Takigawa, even if it is just for the money," he intoned. Takigawa grasped Souji's shoulders with both of his hands and shook him.
"Dammit, it's not about the money! Forget the money! You can't spend money if you're locked in some creepy as shit house for the rest of your life, or dead!" He shouted frantically. He took a deep breath, taking a moment to calm himself down. "I'll say it again. We're in danger here. If you value the people who are here with you, then you would tell us to leave."
Souji stared at the auburn-haired youth. The silence persisted for a long while before he firmly removed Takigawa's arms from his shoulders.
"Maybe you have a point," he murmured softly. Takigawa breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Maybe you're right, Takigawa."
Takigawa let his arms go slack. "So you do understand. I'm glad." He gave a nervous chuckle. "You had me going there." The young man started to move to take the rope and metal case. "I guess I'll start taking these back to the-"
"Still," Souji said quietly. "That doesn't erase the fact that Kaede Rokujin is missing."
Takigawa stopped abruptly.
"Perhaps it's dangerous. It was dangerous with that serial killer in Inaba. It was dangerous when you and I were hunting that slasher in Ikebukuro. It was dangerous when we were looking for those kids in that crumbling hotel, too."
"Don't say it," Takigawa warned.
Souji inhaled deeply before staring straight at the auburn-haired youth. "People were taken, and people were harmed. We knew the risks then, just as we know them now. But it was something you said, Takigawa. Remember? You were the one who told me that we take those risks because no one else was willing to. And that is why we could push through whatever danger we faced at the time. We ended up catching that deranged slasher and rescuing those children who were playing hide and seek in a building scheduled for demolition. Against all odds, we did that."
Souji folded his arms across his chest, his expression one of steely determination. The TV world had also been dangerous during the murders in Inaba, but that hadn't halted the investigation team in the slightest. "The danger and the risks didn't stop us then, and it won't stop us now. Kaede Rokujin is missing, and we're going to find her whatever it takes. Not for the money or the reputation, but because we're the only ones who can."
"But-"
"If we don't, then who will, Kaito? If she remains missing or turns up dead, on whose shoulders will her fate be? Her father's? Arakida's? Tell me."
"Look, dammit," Takigawa said through clenched teeth. "This isn't about being some kind of knight for freaking justice. This isn't Camelot. We don't live in a fantasy world where everybody can be saved. People get lost and people die, Souji. How long do you intend to keep yourself blind to that? Kaede's gone already, and the most we can do is save ourselves before something happens to one of us."
"So you're saying we should just leave her?" Souji remained calm, as he always was, and yet the battle of wills between the two men was very clearly playing out. "I'm going to ask you again, Takigawa. Who will save her if we don't? Should we just not try, on the off chance that we might not succeed? Do we just let the result of her life be decided by fate? If there is even the slightest chance that we can rescue her, what excuse do we have for not doing so?"
"And what about the future, huh?" Takigawa growled. "Say that the lot of us vanish while looking for this girl, or we lose our lives in the process. She'll get off scot-free while we pay the price, and any person we could 'save' or 'rescue' in the future is doomed. Death is final, Souji."
"I am more aware of that than you can possibly imagine," Souji murmured quietly. The reminder sent him back to Nanako's hospital room. It was nothing short of a miracle that played the main part in her revival, and at the time he had very nearly broken into pieces. His voice and demeanor remained almost supernaturally calm. "But you can't live your life on 'what ifs'. We can't run with our tails between our legs because we might not find her, nor can we pause in our search because it might be dangerous."
Neither man spoke for several seconds. Souji decided within himself that he'd have to resort to a tactic he hated using, considering it completely contradicted what he just said, but he couldn't bring himself to just leave this case as it was, nor was he entirely confident he could do this without Takigawa. If nothing else, it would cause their cover to fall apart and that could raise a lot of complicated questions.
The silver-haired youth grimaced. "What would your sister do?"
That threw Takigawa off; the auburn-haired youth seemed rattled by the question.
"I told you not to mention her," he said, gritting his teeth.
"Tell me what kind of person she is, Takigawa. Would she just leave Kaede here to her fate?"
"That doesn't matter. She's gone now, she can't do anything about this," The mention of his sibling clearly threatened to push Takigawa over the edge. He seemed shaken and his face was flushed red, his fists constantly clenching and unclenching.
"You said that we should leave because it may be dangerous here. I'm asking you what your sister may have done were she here, with us, in this room, hearing you talk about abandoning an innocent person to their fate for their own sake."
Souji's challenged was met with silence, which was a response in of itself.
"You can't live your life on 'maybes', Takigawa," Souji said, echoing his past statement. "I am not holding you here. If your self preservation is stronger than your conscience, then leave. I won't hold it against you, and I'll send you your paycheck for the month. But my answer is final. We are staying, and we are going to find Kaede Rokujin before we leave. That's a promise to you, and to her."
The two men stared at each other for a while longer, but eventually Takigawa let faltered, casting his eyes at the floor.
"You're very difficult to work for sometimes, Seta-san," he mumbled. In his mind, Souji let out a sigh of relief. In the back of his mind he feared that it might have come to blows or that Takigawa would start raising trouble.
"It's only because I have high standards," Souji reassured him, glad that the situation was finally beginning to defuse. The situation could have been exacerbated very badly very fast. It was a risk bringing up Takigawa's sister, but it was a gambit that apparently worked. "I was serious, however. If you want to leave-"
Takigawa shook his head. "No. While my instinct tells me I should, if you're really this determined to see this through, I won't abandon you or Makoto now. Not Prince-kun, either." He cracked his knuckles. "One condition, though."
"Whatever you want, Takigawa," Souji said, his lips breaking into a weary grin.
"You have to let me hit you."
Souji gave the auburn-haired youth a startled glance. "Wait, what? Why?"
Takigawa grinned deviously. "I warned you before, if you use my first name again I was going to sock you one. I wasn't kidding."
Souji sighed, shaking his head. "You really take that seriously, don't you? Okay, fine then. Fair's fair." Souji straightened and presented the right side of his face. "Give me your best one. At least if I get another scar it'll match the one I have on the other side of my face."
"We can only hope," Takigawa said, reeling his fist back before throwing it with tremendous force at the silver-haired male's head.
The impact was akin to that of a tomahawk missile colliding with a mountain. The blow nearly knocked Souji off of his feet, and only barely did his legs managed to stumble backwards to keep him from falling down. His eyes flashed with stars and spots, and he tasted blood on the inside of his mouth. Souji practically fell to one knee, but recovered remarkably quickly.
"Your arguments...haven't lost their force, I see," Souji muttered weakly, his brain slowly reorienting itself after the colossal hit.
Takigawa grinned as he took a small package of bandages from his pocket. "Maybe you'll learn this time. Hey, stand still, I broke the skin. By the way, try not to sic Prince-kun on me for hitting you. It's what you deserved, after all."
"I can't necessarily argue with that. No promises about Naoto, though," Souji wheezed as Takigawa applied a fairly large bandage to the side of the former's face. Souji shook his head to clear the spots and made several rapid blinks as the ringing in his ears dissipated.
"But sheesh, your jaw got hard, Seta," Takigawa shook his right hand, flexing the fingers even as he undid the case and took out a large high-power flashlight and began tying the rope around his waist and legs in a makeshift harness. When that was done he tossed the other end of the rope to Souji.
"Probably because I'm starting to get used to being hit like that," Souji said. He caught the end of the rope and begin tying it around his own waist.
"Anyway, you get the easy part. I get to go down the spooky trap door."
"The rungs are pretty fragile when I checked, so be careful. Try to avoid the ones that shake when you grab them."
"Yeah," Takigawa said confidently. He cracked a glow stick and threw it down the trap door, where it impacted with the floor after several seconds, softly illuminating the way from the bottom of where the trap door lead. The auburn-haired young man peered down into the darkness.
"Looks to be...maybe eight to nine meters. Wow, we are on the second floor, right? This goes pretty deep." Takigawa began to inch his way down the shaft, taking care not to rely too much on the metal rungs as he began to descend. He kept his back firmly against the wall of the narrow shaft in order to keep himself steady.
"How much rope do we have, exactly?" Souji asked, looking at the coil piled on the floor.
"Eleven meters. I figured we wouldn't need much more of that. Anyway, you ready?"
Souji tugged at the knot around his waist several times to make sure it was secure. He braced himself against the edge of the trap door with his legs and wrapped the rope around his arm. "Whenever you are."
Takigawa began descending, the slight clack of his boots landing on the metal rungs echoing through the shaft. "Shit, it's dusty in here." He coughed. "You okay up there?"
"Just dandy. Keep going," Souji said as he very slowly allowed more of the rope to go slack. A loud crack was heard from the shaft, and Souji felt the rope jerk around his arm and waist. He held on to it with a solid grip and gave it a short yank.
"You weren't kidding about these rungs," Takigawa called. "It's going to be a hell of a trip trying to get back up if all of these break." After several seconds, a soft clatter was heard as Takigawa apparently reached the bottom.
"How's it look down there?" Souji called, his voice echoing down the shaft.
"Hard to tell, really...the floor here is cement. It's really damn dark in here." Souji could see the shaft of light from the flashlight swinging around in the chamber. "Looks like some sort of tunnel? It seems to go pretty far, but it's impossible to tell. Definitely man made, though. It might have been part of the original house."
There were more sounds echoing from the shaft as Takigawa shuffled through.
"Smells awful, too—oh shit!"
"What? What did you find?" Souji said, his tone concerned.
"Uh...don't freak out yet, just..let me double check here. Is that what I think...yeah, that's definitely what I think it is."
"What is it?" Souji called, his anxiety growing.
"Ugh, that's...sheesh, we wanted clues, we got freaking clues. Hey, Seta! Tighten that rope, I'm going to start climbing back up."
Souji did as Takigawa said and coiled more of the rope around his arm. Another crash and more swearing was heard and the rope tightened, presumably from another rung of the ladder breaking. Souji held out his arm and pulled Takigawa out of the shaft. The auburn-haired youth was covered in dust and coughed a bit.
"So, we may have a problem."
"What was down there?" Souji looked austerely at Takigawa.
Takigawa eyed Souji almost suspiciously. "You sure you want to know? It's not good."
"There's no need to jump through all of these hoops, Takigawa, just tell me what you found." Souji said, annoyed.
"Well, let me ask you this, Seta. Is Prince-kun any good at forensics?"
Souji made a curious face at Takigawa. "Naoto? I'm fairly certain she is, but why do you ask?"
Takigawa jerked his thumb down at the shaft, his face scrunched in a look of disgust. "Yeah, there's some poor bastard's corpse down there."
